Chair



Sept. 23, 1958 N. sTARKl-z 2,853,125

CHAIR 2 sheets-Sme*u 1 Filed July ll. 1956 |NVENTOR Nathan, Starke ATTORNEYS sept. 23,1958

N. STARKE CHAIR Filed July 11, 1956l INVENTOR Nathan Starke r f BY f `70 ATTORNEYS United States Patent Q CHAIR Nathan Starke, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assigner to bamor Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation o Ohio Application July 11, 1956, Serial No. 597,169

3 Claims. (Cl. 15S-183) This invention relates to a chair structure and more particularly the invention has reference to the type of chair construction which embodies tubular parts.

An object of the present invention is to provide a chair of inexpensive construction which can be quickly converted to provide a number of different finish combinations so as to provide a number of decorative effects or so as to increase the serviceability and useful life of the fabric or other coverings on the resilient seat cushion and back cushion of the chair.

In this connection the chair is so constructed that both the back cushion and the seat cushion can be readily reversed without affecting the shape and seating characteristics of the chair, while at the same time the chair is so constructed that it costs no more or little more to manufacture than do conventional tubular chairs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reinforced seat cushion which is so constructed that it is divided into two halves which may separately be covered with covering material to then be readily joined together to hide the selvage edges of the covering and provide a unitary reversible seat cushion of pleasing appearance in either position.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof. The following description is made merely by way of example and refers to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chair structure embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the chair shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view, partly in section, taken from line 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4 in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an elevation, partly broken away, of the back cushion employed in the illustrated example of the invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6 6 in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a detailed view taken from line 7-7 in Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a seat cushion employed in the illustrated example of the invention.

Figure 9 is a view taken on line 9 9 in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view of the inward side of one half of the seat cushion shown in Figure 8.

Figure l1 is a view of the inward side of the other half of the seat cushion shown in Figure 8.

Figure l2 is a detailed View of the lower right-hand corner of the structure shown in Figure 1l.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 13-13 in Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 14-14 in Figure 8.

As shown in the drawings, the illustrated example of the invention includes a seat-receiving frame generally in- ICC dicated at 10. The sides of the seat-receiving frame comprise inner tube elements 11 and an outer tube element 12. The inner tube elements 11 are welded to the outer tube element 12 at adjoining portions of their respective lengths. The outer tube element 12 extends across the front of the chair at 14. A channel 13 is welded to the top of the outer tube element 12 to extend around three sides of the seat-receiving frame in a manner which will be clear from the drawings. The inner tube elements 11 nest within the outer tube element 12 in a manner which will be most clearly seen in Figure 3.

The frame 10 is supported by the rear legs 15 and the forward legs 16. The rear legs 15 comprise extensions of the outer tube element 12. The forward legs 16 comprise extensions of forward portions of the inner tube elements 11. The rearward portions of the inner tube elements 11 extend upwardly from the frame 10 at the rearward side thereof to provide a pair of upstanding tubular members 18, each of which is provided with a detent opening 19 (Figure 6). The detent openings 19 preferably face inwardly or toward the lateral center of the chair.

A back cushion is provided, which is generally indicated at 20. The back cushion may comprise upright wooden frame members 22, which are connected by 'a top cross frame member 23 and a bottom cross frame member 24, the bottom cross frame member comprising the bottom of the back cushion 20.- The back cushion is padded or upholstered with suitable cushioning material 25 which is covered with a flexible covering of fabric, plastic or other suitable material having opposite faces 26 and 27 which may be of unlike appearance. For example, one face may be decorated with a design and the other face may be a plain color. Mounted on the bottom cross frame member 24 are a pair of sliding latches 28, each of which is associated with an aperture 21 formed in an upright frame member 22. The apertures 21 are located midway between the sides of the back cushion 20 and are equally spaced from the ends thereof. lt will be noted that the back cushion 20 is symmetrical in plan section. Each ofthe sliding latches 28 may be limited in outward sliding movement by a stop 29.

The seat cushion employed in the illustrated example of the invention is illustrated at 30. The seat cushion 30 is symmetrical in elevation section and comprises a pair of separate frames 31 and 32 (Figures 10 and 1l). Associated with each of the frames 31 and 32 is suitable cushioning material 34 which is firmly supported by transverse plywood boards 33 or other equivalent supports. The frame 31 is provided with a plurality of male snap fastener elements in the form of studs 35, which may be formed as wood screws, which are firmly anchored to the frame 31. The frame 32 is provided with drilled openings 36 which correspond with the locations of the male snap fasteners 35. Over each o'f the openings 36 is positioned a female snap fastener element comprising a plate 37 which is stamped out or otherwise suitably formed with inwardly projecting detents 38 which are positioned within the openings 36 and which are adapted to receive the snap fastener elements 35 in releasable engagement.

Associated with the frame 32 and in covering relationship with the cushioning material carried on the frame 32 is a flexible covering 39. The selvage edge 40 (Figures 11, 12. and 14) is tacked or otherwise fastened around the inner face of the frame 32. A exible covering 41 is similarly associated with the frame 31 and is in covering relationship with the cushioning material carried on this frame. The selvage edge 42 (Figures 10 and 14) of the flexible covering 41 is positioned around the inner face of the frame 31. The flexible coverings 39 and 41 may be of different appearance,for example one may comprise a design and the other may comprise `a solid color.

It will thus be seen that the chair may be quickly converted to provide a number of different decorative effects by reversing the cushions 20 and 30. Although the opposite sides of the cushions 20 and 30 are preferably decorated in dissimilar ways, it is, of course, possible to decorate them in the same way. The reversibility of both these cushions makes it possible to yincrease the serviceability and useful life of the fabric or other covering on the cushions. Reversing of either or both the cushions does not affect the shapeand seating characteristics of the chair.

The invention is not limited to all the details of the disclosed example but is to be defined by the following claims.

'What is claimed is:

1. In a chair, a seat-receiving frame, ground-engaging legs supporting the frame, a pair of tubular members fixed to the seat-receiving frame and extending upwardly in spaced relation on one side of the seat-receiving frame, a removable internally reinforced seat cushion received on said seat-receiving frame, an internally reinforced back cushion supported on said pair of tubular members, said back cushion being symmetrical in plan-section, said back cushion having upwardly extending apertures formed in its lower edge midway between the sides thereof and equally spaced from the ends thereof for receiving said tubular members, whereby said back cushion can be reversed without affecting the shape and seating characteristics ofsaid chair.

2. In a chair, a seat-receiving frame, ground-engaging legs supporting the frame, a pair of tubular members fixed to the seat-receiving frame and extending upwardly in spaced relation on one side of the seat-receiving frame, a removable internally reinforced seat cushion received on said seat-receiving frame, an internallyv reinforced back cushion supported on said pair o-f tubular members, said back cushion being symmetrical in plan section, said back cushion having upwardly extending apertures formed in its lower edge midway between the sides thereof and equally spaced from the ends thereof for receiving said tubular members, a pair of latches slidably mounted on the bottom of said back cushion and removably positionable over each of said apertures, a detent hole in each of said tubular members and engageable by one of said latches when said tubular members are fully received in said back cushion, whereby said back cushion can be reversed without affecting the shape and seating characteristics of said chair.

3. In a chair, a seat-receiving frame, ground-engaging legs supporting the frame, a pair of tubular members fixed to the seat-receiving frame and extending upwardly in spaced relation on one side of the seat-receiving frame, a removable internally reinforced seat cushion received on said seat-receiving frame, said seat cushion being symmetrical in elevation section and comprising a pair of frames positioned Vin overlying relationship vwith each other, snap-fastener means between saidframes releasably holding them together, cushioning material supported on each of said frames, flexible coverings associated with each of said frames and coveringl said cushioning material and extending partially inwardly between said frames, an internally reinforced back cushion supported on said pair of tubular members, said back cushion being symmetrical in plan section, said back cushion having upwardly extending apertures formed in its lower edge midway between the sides thereof and equally spaced from the ends thereof for receiving said tubular members, whereby said back cushion and said seat cushion can be reversed to increase the serviceability and useful life of the covering means associated with said cushions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED 'STATES PATENTS 1,450,283 Galizia Apr. 3, 1923 2,668,584 Greitzer Feb. 9, 1954 2,706,518 Fleischer Apr. 19, 1955 

